Last-holding device



E. L. PATTEN LAST HOLDING DEVICE June "[1924;

Filed Feb; 9, 1922 2 Sheets-dimer. l

awuemtoz ERNEST LFATTEN June 17, 1924;

v E. L. PATTEN LAST HOLDING payIc-B 2 She's ts-s heo V. 2

Fi led Feb. 9, 1922 avwo/ntov ERNEST LPATTEN Patented June 17, 1924. L4

UMTED srarss PATEN o en.

ERNEST L. PAT'I'EN, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO L. CANDEE &

COMPANY, A CORPORATI ION OF CONNECTICUT.

LAST-HOLDING nnvrcn.

ap lication filed February a, 1922. Serial No. 535,118.

To allwhomitmay concern:

Be it known that I, ERNEST-L. PA'I'I'EN, a citizen of the United States, residing at New Haven, county of New Haven, and State of'Connecticut, have invented a certain new and useful Last-Holding Device, ofwhich the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to a last holding 0 device for use in the manufacture of .footwear, and more particularly to one. for employment in the making of rubber or canvas and rubber footwear.

In the making of rubber footwear, the usual method is to build up the article piece by piece by superposin the pieces on a last and compacting them means of a hand roller, the operator holding the last in one handwhile rolling with the other. This does not allow the operator free use of both hands during the building up operation and necessitates a great deal of handling of the last, which is particularly objectionable in the making of white rubber footwear and white canvas goods, owing to the soiling of the goods by the hands of the operator. In addition, whenever it is desired to exert greater pressure than usual the operator usually steadies the last against the chest with one hand while rolling with the other, which involves considerable efiort on the part of the operator, and is wasteful of energy.

An object of my invention isto provide a last support for use in the makingof footwear which will reduce the time and labor required in making the same.

Another object is to provide a last support having a maximum number of -adjustments and which may be adjusted with a minimum of effort.

Still another object is to provide a last support, which while of particular appli-..

cation in the building up of rubber footwear on a last,-is also of general applicationin the footwear art. I

For a d etailed disclosure of the invention referencegshadto the accompanying specifica tion and 'drawing, in which latter: Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly broken y; of t d v ce; 4 v

Figure 2 is an end elevation;

Figure 3 is a top plan view, partly broken away;

Figure 4 is a side elevation of a slightly modified form of support;

Figure 5 is a plan view of the last supporting bracket shown in Fig. 4;

Figure 6 is an end View thereof; and

Figure 7 is a plan of one form of workbench for use with the last support.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral 1 desi nates a table or work bench and below the liench is a stringer 1' to which is secured the bracket 2, the latter having at its outer overhanging end a split collar 3 adjustable by the clamping screw 4. Secured in the split collar is a tubular column 5 from the upper end of which projects a bracket 6 having at its free end a flat circular bearing 7 from the center of which projects upwardly a pivot pin 8. A yoke member 9 is rotatably mounted on the pin 8,

and at its lower end is.provided with a fiat circular bearing 10 coacting with the bearing 7, the yoke member being held in position on the pivot pin 8 by means of the nut 11. To frictionally secure the yoke member 9 in adjusted position a spring pressed detent 12 is provided in the bearing 7, which detent is adapted to coact with any one of the circularly disposed series of recesses 13 in the bearing 10. These recesses may be formeddirectly in the bearing 10, but preferably, and as shown, they are formed in hardened bearing blocks 14 inserted in the lower face of the bearing 10. Mounted in the upper free ends of the yoke member 9 are pivot screws 15 secured in adjusted position by lock nuts 16. Pivotally mounted on the screws 15 between the arms of the yoke is a block 17 having at one side a sector plate provided with stops 18. A spring pressed detent 19 is mounted in one of the arms of the yoke 9 in position to coact with the recesses 20 onthe sector 18, which re-v cesses are preferably formed in hardened blocks 21 set into the face of the sector 18. The stops 18 by engaging the casing of detent 19, limit the movement of the sector 18 to 90 each way.

The block 17 is formed with a circular bore '22 in which s rotatably mounted asocket member 23 having on its upper end a head or flange 24 adapted to frictionally engage the block 17. Loosely mounted on the lower reduced end. of the socket member 23 is a sleeve 25 having a flange 26 adapted to frictionally engage the lower end of the block 17 around the edge of bore 22. Relative rotary movement of the sleeve 25 and socket member 23 is prevented by a pin 27 engaging recesses in the socket member and sleeve. A nut 28 is threaded on the lower end of the socket member and interposed between this nut and the flange 26 1s a coil spring 29, which by 1ts expansion is adapted to cause the flanges 24 and 26 to frictionally engage the block 17.

The socket member 23 is provided with a tapered socket 30 in which is adapted to be driven the tapered socket pin 31, which latter has securedto its upper end a last supporting bracket or element 32 provided with spaced pins 33 on which the last 34 may be supported in the usual manner.

In the form shown in Figs. 4 to 6 the parts up to and including the block 17 and its adjustments are the same as in the form shown in Figs. 1 to 3. Instead of mounting the socket member 23 in the bore 22 of the block 17, however, a shank or pivot pin 35' is rotatably mounted in the bore, which shank has an enlarged head 36, the lower side 37 of which is adapted to frictionally contact with the block 17 around bore 22 in the same manner as the head of socket member 23. A keyway 38 is cut in the lower end of the shank. 35, and a washer 39 is loosely disposed around the lower reduced end of the shank. ,This washer has a key 40 projecting from its inner periphery and disposed in the keyway 38, thereby preventing relative rotary movement of the shank 35 and washer 39. A knurled thumb nut 41 is threadedly mounted on thelower end of shank 35 and a coil compression spring 42 is interposed between the nut and washer 39, said spring causing the lower side of the head 36 and the washer 39 to frictionally engage the block 17 in the same manner as the flanges 24 and 26 in the form shown in Fig. 1. A tapered dovetail groove or keyway 43 is formed on the upper side of the head 36, and a last supporting bracket 44 is provided at one end with a tapered dovetail portion 45 adapted to have a wedge fit in the groove 43, the bracket 44 being provided with the usual last supporting pins 46 on which may be mounted the last 47.

In operation of the form shown in'Fig. .1 the last supporting element 32 is secured in the socket member 23 by driving its socket pin 31 into the socket 30. The pins 33 are variably spaced for different sizes of lasts, and in practice brackets 32 having variously spaced pins 33 are provided. Whenever it is desired to change one last supporting bracket for another the change may be readily made by merely tapping the bottom of the tapered socket pin. 31 to loosenthe same, when the bracket 32 may be and another with difierently spaced last pins 33 substituted.

The oerator then loosens clamping screw 4 on coar 3, allowing the column 5 to be vertically adjusted to any desired height, after which the clamping screw may be again tightened. After placing the last 34 on pins 33 the operator proceeds in the operation of building up a shoe. It is convenient, when beginning, to rotate the yoke 9 on its hearings to a position 90 away from that shown in Fig. 1, that is, with the arms of the yoke in a line parallel with the front edge of the table shown in Fig. 7. In this position the block 17 may be turned '45 or 90 toward or away from the operator, thereby correspondingly inclining the last. In any of these positions the last and its supporting bracket may be rotated through any part of 360 on the block 17. It is convenient for some purposes, as when lasting the lining on the Insole, to incline the block 17 45 toward the operator, and then to rotate the last support 32 in the block to applying the toe tip the block 17 may be rotated 90 awa from the operator,and the last then rotate to bring the toe upwardly On the other hand, in applyin heel parts it is most convenient to rotate t ie block 90 toward the operator and rotate the last to. I

bring the'hee ortion upwardly. lln rolling the sides of the shoe it is most convenient to turn the yoke 9 to the position shown in Fig. 1, when the block 17 or 90 laterally to either side. The above description is merely illustrative of the numerous adjustments which may be obtained with the device, and it is particularly to be noted that in any position of the yoke 9 or block 17 the shoe last may be rotated through 360 on the block 17, thereby allowing the operator to obtain ready access to every part of the shoe. As the rotation of the last and its supporting bracket 32 in the block 17 is the adjustment most frequent- 1 used, the spring 29 is so regulated that the last may be frictionally adjusted in this manner without disturbing the adjustment of the yoke 0. llt will be seen that by reason of the adjustment of the block 17 on a horizontal axis the last and supported footwear article may be disposed in diden' ent positions with respect to the vertical and at either side thereof, the fixed stops 18 limiting this movement to 90 on either side of the vertical. When the device is not in use it may beswung back over the table, if desired, by first loosening'the clamping screw 4.

The operation of the form shown in Fi s. 4 to 6 is in all respects similar to that of the removed any desired position during the lasting. In

form 'shown 1,.witli theexception of the manner of changing the last supportingbracket for different size lasts. This change ma be made by merely tapping onthe outer quired in the-making of a shoe to en of the tapered dovetail portion 45 of the last supporting bracket, and driving 1n another bracket having differently spaced.

of a large number of adjustments in various directions, the. adjustments can be made with a minimum expenditure of time and labor, and the support will frictionally retam the position-to which it has been adjusted. In

the building up of rubber footwear a large number of operations are required, and it is essential to economical manufacture. that these operations be performed with the greatest ease and speed. Hence, is not practicable to' use a last support in which the parts after adjustment must be locked in position by set screws or similar devices,

as the time occupied in loosening and securing such devices for each change of the would lengthen the time resuch an extent as to'make the cost prohibitive. As

last support previ ously pointed out it has been common,

prlor to my invention, for the operator to hold the last in one hand while performing various operations, such as rolling, stitching, etc., with the other. In addition to the excessive manual labor required this manner of holding the last and article causes an objectionable soiling of the article in cases where white rubber or other material is being used. As far as I am aware I am the first to provide a readily adjustable last su port suitable for the manufacture ofi ru ber footwear. It will entirely obviate the holding of the last against the body by the operator while hand rolling any 0 .the parts, and it will increase the output of the operatorwhile reducing the physical effort required. While'the support has been particularly designed for use in the making of rubber footwear or. canvas and rubber footwear, such as tennis shoes, and similar articles, it is obvious that it is of general application in the footwear art.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent-is; v

1; A shoe last support comprisin a last supporting element, means whereby t e same may be adjusted including successive rotary adjustments on vertical, horizontal and vertical'axes, variable yielding means for frictionally retaining said first adjustment, a base, and vertically adjustable means for retaining said secon and vertically and rotatably adjustable the ase and in 0 set relation thereto."

supporting said reviously named parts on v 2. A shoe last support comprisin alast supportin element, means whereby t e same,

may be a justed including successive rotary adjustments on vertical, horizontal and.

vertical axes, yieldin and fixed stops for adjustment, a base,

means for supporting said previously named parts from the base on, a vertical axis in offset relation to the-base.

3. A shoe last supportcomprising a last supporting element, means whereby the same may be adjusted including successive rotary adjustments on vertical, horizontal and vertical axes, yielding means for fries tionally retaining eachv of said adjustments, 8. base, and means for adjustably supporting said previously named parts on the base and in ofl'set' relation thereto.

4. A shoe last support comprising a last supporting element, means/whereby the same may be adjusted including successive rotary adjustments on vertical, horizontal and vertical axes, yielding means-for frictionally retaining each ofsaid adjustments, a base, rotatably adjustable means for supporting said previously named parts on the base and in ofi'set relation thereto, and means for retaining said last named means in adjusted position. v 5

5. A shoe last support comprising a last supporting element having spaced last receiving pins, a support for the same rotatably adjustable on a vertical axis, aquickly detachable connection between the two, means for rotatably supporting said previously named parts on a horizontalaxis, means for supporting the preceding parts on a-vertical axis, a base, and means for vertically or ro-' tatably adjusting the entire "mechanism on the base.

6. A shoe ly detachable last supporting element, having spaced last receiving-pins, a'plurality of means whereby the same may be frictionally adjusted in a plurality ofv directions, a base, and means whereby said. first means may be vertically or rotatably adjusted on'the base.

7. A shoe last sup ort comprising a last supporting element. avin a tapered attaching portion, a member aving a tapered recessada ted to receive said portion with a wedge t, means whereby said member may be rotated, and successive means where by said member may be rotatedin'planes at right angles and parallel to the plane'of sald first rotation.

8. A shoe last support comprising a last supporting element ing pin, a socket having a tapered bore adapted to receive said pin, means for mountin said socket for rotation in ahorizontal p ane, means for mounting said first aving a tapered attachmeans for rotation in a vertical plane, and means for mounting all of said previously niimed parts for rotation in a horizontal ane. 9. A. shoe last support comprising a' base, a rotatably and axially adjustable bracket mounted thereon, means for securing the bracket in adjusted position, a frictionally held yoke member rotatably adjustable on said bracket, a frictionally'h'eld block rotatably adjustable in said yoke member in a plane at right angles to e adjustment of the yoke member, and a frictionally held last supporting element adjustable in said block in a plane at right angles to the adjustment of the latter.

10. A shoe last support comprisin a bracket rotatably and axially ad j a base, ustable thereon, means for securing the bracket in ad usted position, a yoke member rotatable on said bracket, means for yieldingly ho1ldthe yoke member in any one of a plub y adjusta le in said yoke member in a plane at right an des to the 'ad'ustment of the latter, means or yieldingly olding vthe block in positions,

a last supporting element rotataly adjustable in said block in a plane at right angles to the adjustment of the latter, a

and means for frictionally holding said ele-= ment in any adjusted position.

Signedat New Haven, New Haven and State of Connecticut, this 2nd dayiof February, 1922.

ERNEST L. PATTEN,

n 'zllfity of adusted positions, a block rotatay one of a plurality of adjusted in the county of 

